Curried Cashew Nut Dip (recipe)

Yes, entertaining. It can strike terror into some but I can a get an unreasonable pleasure from organising parties, from dinner to informal gatherings.

Now, at a party is generally not a good time to launch into a new recipe so I suggest you try this beforehand. The reason is that when you read through the ingredients you are going to go; that is a weird/freaky/bloody awful set of ingredients. Then you will think, there is NO way I am going to make that, it will taste positively nasty. I thought that to, but I was also curious. Rose Eliot, the author of the cookbook, has a reputation of producing some of the easiest and finest vegetariancuisine. So, it at least has to be tested? Indeed, a test dip will convince you, I assure you.

I served this dip at a housewarming, with a couple of noders in attendance and one lovely fellow requested that I node the dish that was rapidly disappearing with the use of snap peas and carrots.

It is not as fiddly as a dip requiring chickpeas soaked for hours, but it is best prepared in the morning of your party if you wish it chilled.

Now the next instructions depend on if you have a blender/food processor, or not. If you do have the good fortune to own one of these machines, just chop everything roughly with a knife at this stage. If not, the finer you chop it the better. If you don’t have a blender, but do have a mortar and pestle, you can attack the cashews with that.

Chop your onions and garlic (Crush the garlic or chop it very finely if you don’t have a food processor) and using the oil (I found it a little much as I use a non-stick pan) fry gently in a pan on a moderate heat for five minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook for a further two to three minutes.*

Place the cream cheese, onion mixture and cashew nuts into your food processor and whiz away. A lightly gritty texture seems to be the best. If you don’t have a food processor, mix it thoroughly in a bowl.

You can serve it warm or chill it in the fridge. Both ways work well. Serve it with sticks of celery, cucumber, carrot and snow peas. I have generally made double portions for larger gatherings as it disappears at an alarming rate.

A hint or two:

*Curry powder contains a number of spices that are natural dyes, the most obvious is turmeric. This means that some things that it comes into contact with it will dye a bright yellow - this includes plastic and wood. When you serve this dish be sure to place it a ceramic bowl. If you happen to stain something a little lemon juice and placing it in direct sunlight should do the trick.